Sex ratio is less in India as compared to developed nations of the world. Major factors responsible for this are as follows:
1. Priority to the birth of son: Due to the influence of many social, economic and religious reasons in India, priority is given to the birth of son as compared to daughter. Still today, there is no shortage of such couples in India, who verify the gender of child before birth due to the desire for a son and do, not hesitate in commiting female foeticide. Due to this reason, more male babies are born than female babies in the country and sex ratio remains less.
2. Death of young girls during delivery period due to child marriage: Even today, child marriage is practiced in the economically backward societies of India. Due to child marriage, many girls at an early age have to bear the burden of motherhood, in which many of these young girls die untimely during childbirth. In this case, the sex ratio decreases due to the decrease in the number of females in the society.
3. Economic dependence of women: In most parts of India, women are financially dependent on men. Generally, most women lead their lives in poverty. They also have to live in the absence of adequate health and medical facilities, also bearing family worries, due to which they die earlier. As a result, the number of women is decreasing in the society.
4. Lack of female education: Lack of girls education is prevalent in India, due to which, they cannot become financially independent. Being economically weak, most of the girls and women cannot protest against mental, physical and social injustice or atrocities and exploitation done to them.
5. Increasing urbanisation: On one hand, the urban population is growing steadily in India. While on the other hand, the percentage of urban population in total population of India is declining steadily. This trend reduces the sex ratio in both rural and urban areas.
